


The Dane and the Saxon boy

by emeina



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vikings, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Middle Ages
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 12:36:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17325116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeina/pseuds/emeina
Summary: It is 875. The Kingdom of Wessex is the only Saxon Kingdom, that had not been taken over by the Danes.Bucky is a Danish boy who arrived in England by the word of his father. He had met a small, blonde boy, when he was ten years old, before the invasion by the great heathen army.Some time had passed and he met the boy again.





	The Dane and the Saxon boy

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there, fellow readers, I just wanted to warn you, that i don't speak english as my first language, so if you find any mistakes, of any kind, I 'm terribly sorry. It is also not beta read, because I'm terrified of human interactions :D  
> If you would like to point out some of these mistakes, then go ahead! I won't learn from my mistakes, if I don't know them.
> 
> I would also like the adress the fact, that the Danish in the middle ages didn't speak English. They spoke a language called Old Norse, but I chose to make the charakters speak English, to create a more enjoyable story. 
> 
> Please enjoy;)  
> P.s Gargan is Old Norse and means Snake.

**The Dane and the Saxon boy**

  
It was **865**. Bucky was heading, at the will of his father, towards England. It was supposed to be the “great, new place”, meant for all Danish seaman to stay.   
In Bucky’s mind, it was all just a big hoax. A lie made up, to trick the Dane’s into thinking that they had a better purpose, than living in Denmark as nothing more than farmers and dying of the cold and the ground, were nothing seemed to grow.   
The so called “Western World”.

In the beginning, everyone laughed, when the “Western World” was mentioned. No one believed, that there was land, at the end of the horizon and everyone who said that it was real, was called crazy.   
Bucky did not know, when it changed. He did not understand, when suddenly everyone was talking about the Western World, as if it was real and all the fantasy of actually going there – that at first was considered a joke – was turned into actual plans. And then, just like that, people were actually leaving. Loading their shipps, biting their farewells and with that, they were gone.   
When his father told him to pack his belongings and say goodbye to his mother, because they were leaving to travel to the Western World, he laughed at first. Surely this was just a joke. He did not think, that his father would actually be dumb enough, to believe in a hoax. That he was dumb enough to think, that this lie, to make everyone feel better, that this made up bedtime story, that was told to the children, for them to believe that they had a future, was real?

After all, the Danes, that had already left, did not come back.   
How was his father so sure, that they had actually made it to this “Western World”, instead of just gotten lost in the Ocean?

When Bucky confronted his father with these questions, he just laughed, petted his head and told him to go and pack his things, since apparently, they were to leave at the next sunrise.   
So now he was sitting in Ragnar Lothbrok’s ship, leaning his head against the wooden wall and shivering, hoping it was going to be warmer in this magical place, that everyone was talking about.   
He did not know why his father made the decision to leave his mother and his sisters behind. “It is a trip only meant for man”, he had said. “They would not make it”.   
Bucky did not believe it. He knew for sure, that his mother was a fierce woman. Strong and confident. He also knew very well, that his sister, Rebecca, would be exited to travel alongside her father, because not only was she more fearless than Bucky – he did not liked to admit this, but she did wanted to go and catch that fox one time when they were playing in to woods, while Bucky was to scared to get bitten and chickend out – and she also had a better connection to their father, than Bucky did.

He spent most of his time on this ship thinking about Becca. She was – is – his best friend and he found it unspeakably mean, that she could come with them. The three other boys – Erik, Guthrum and Tjure – were fighting with their wooden swords and screaming out, like some kind poor man in agony.   
He did not like them. Erik was fine, but only when the other two were not around. When Erik and himself were alone, they could talk about everything and nothing. Erik even let Bucky braid his hair once but as soon as Guthrum and Tjure showed up, Erik pretended to be one of them and started calling Bucky annoying names and asking him dumb questions, like why he wasn’t a girl, when all he ever did was be around other girls and doing “girl-stuff”.

Bucky for the most part just ignored them. He went back to his mother and Becca and joined them at whatever they were doing. Just as far away from the other boys as possible.   
That turned out to be difficult, because not only were his mother and Becca not with them and also because this ship was not very big, so hiding was basically impossible. All he could do, was going to the very end of the ship, sit down somewhere and wait until the others figure out, that this infamous “Western World” does not exist and they are able to go back home.   
He forgot how many days they have spent on the way to the other side of the horizon. It could have been just thee days. Or maybe four? Or maybe even a week? Bucky closed his eyes again and let his thoughts take him away from all this staggering of the ship and the sight of water. Water everywhere, as far as Bucky’s sight could reach.

          ***

This place was different. It seemed peaceful. Quiet. Like the water on a lake, only moving through creatures dancing over its surface. Or like freshly fallen snow, that has not been touched yet.   
But it is only an illusion. It is like a curtain draped over something that needs to be hidden. It seems, as if there was something more, lying on the bottom of the lake, or covered up by that clean, white snow. Something dark and dangerous.   
Bucky knew.

He saw the beauty of this land. He saw everything. Everything that no one else of the Seaman saw.   
He knew that there was other mankind inhabitation this land. He notices that small little hut made out of wood on top of the hill, when they passed it. He saw the tree stump, that has clearly been cut down by a person, on the side of the road.   
He knew, that Ragnar also knew. When they were at home, sitting in the living area and Ragnar told about the “Western World”. Ragnar could talk about this land for hours. He told about it, in a way that made everyone feel like it already belonged to them. Ragnar talks about the forests and the rivers and all every part of the Western World, as if it is his.

But it is not.   
It does not belong to them. To the Danes.   
Bucky knew, that whomever built that hut on the hill, whomever cut down the trees, is not going to give up their land. He knew that they – whomever they were – were going to protect what they have built. He had seen it himself, when his father had fought against a pack of wolf’s who tried to take their sheep, in the middle of the night. He saw his father and his man chase of the wolfs. He knew that they were only protection what was theirs, but he still could not help it, to feel bad, when he saw two of the wolfs – two small once, he remembered – with a rope around their necks, hanging of a bar, dripping blood onto the snow, beneath their bodies.   
He had a feeling that this was going to be the same thing. The people here being the sheep and Ragnar and his man being the wolfs.

While they were still on the ships, Ragnar called Bucky, Erik, Tjure and Guthrum over, to sit with him.   
He started to explain why they were sailing into the west. He began with describing how beautiful this new home was going to be. That he had already seen it and could not believe he’s eyes, when he first saw the landscape. He drifted of and started talking about every single detail that he saw, until Tjure got bored and remained Ragnar to tell them why they were traveling to a place so far from home.   
“We are looking for new land. We are looking for new land, because we need it.”, Ragnar stated. “Why?”, Tjure had asked.   
“Because our home is too small for us. We are strong people. We survive every winter, we fight off any enemy and we conquer everything that stands in our way. Every Woman bears a child and every child lives. Our elders live long and our line goes on. And because we are so many, we need more land, more food and more housing. All of these things we need, can be found in the Western World. Believe it or not, we are not the first Danish to cross the sea. 60 Years ago, the Danish started to go west. They are already there and have taken their new place in these lands. We are simply joining them.” Ragnar had replied.

Bucky had always looked up to Ragnar. He was tall, strong and knew his way around the Seaman. He was just like how Bucky wanted to be, when he gotten older. Ragnar seemed to be one of the few, who Bucky felt like, he understood every single word he was saying. Even if none of them made any sense.   
“What about the people, already living there?”, Bucky had asked.

Before Ragnar could answer his question, he was called to the bow of the boat. As soon as he reached Inghard, the helmsman, and saw why he was called, Ragnar held his sword into the air and screamed: “Land!”  
When they had arrived at shore, Bucky thought they were going to rest. But instead of putting up camp, the horses were taken of their ships and prepared for the ride.   
“Father, where are we going?”, Bucky asked, while he was being put onto their horse. His father climbed onto the horse – who was called Vindr, which means wind, in their language – and settled in, in front of Bucky.   
“We are going to meat up with some of our old friends.”, his father had answered and commanded Vindr to walk.   
“How long is it going to take until we arrive?”, Bucky held on tight, as all the horses started to sprint and the seaman moved forward into the forest.   
“Four days, if Ragnar is telling the truth, so you better prepare!”

          ***

Ragnar did not lie. Even with the shortest stops, so that they could eat and drink and feed the horses, it still took them almost five days to arrive.   
They reached an opening in the forest, with a few tents build on it and scary looking man standing in front of them. Bucky had never seen them before, but by the way Ragnar approached them, they did not seem to be strangers to him.

He greeted them, the same way he greeted Bucky’s father and smiled.   
After they had unloaded all of their belongings and bound the horses to a pole, the seaman proceeded to make their way into the biggest tent, that was placed in the middle. Bucky wanted to follow his father, but Ragnar stopped him, saying: “Ten-year old boys do not belong in the consultation of the man. Go and play with your friends.”  
Bucky smiled sour and made his way back outside.

Tjure and Erik were already beating each other with their self-made swords, while Guthrum watched and cheered.   
Bucky liked Guthrum the least. He was the oldest and also the fattest out of all of them and to top it off, he also was the meanest. Guthrum started calling Bucky names, pushed him around and one time he even made a goat so angry, that it began aiming at him and in the last moment, he pulled Bucky in front if him, like a human-shield, so that the goat would hit Bucky instead of him. It hurt a lot and Bucky even got a bruise from that.

“Hey, princess Buckerina, are you going to play with us, or are you too afraid to lose?”, Guthrum shouted, as soon as he spotted Bucky.   
“Leave me alone, Guthrum!”, Bucky shouted back and made his way over to the horses, to pet Vindr.

Guthrum turned to Erik and Tjure, whispered them something, turned back around with a grin on his face and screamed: “Everyone after Bucky!”  
Suddenly all three of them were running towards him, with their swords raised and screaming. Bucky let go of Vindr, turned around and ran as fast as he could into the forest.   
This was not the first time, that they followed him, Bucky knew, that he was faster then Erik and Guthrum. Guthrum was so fat, he could not run for his life, even if he had to.   
The main problem was Tjure. He was always faster than Bucky and the one to catch him and hold him down. The good thing for Bucky was, that he had a better endurance than Tjure. If he could avoid him for until Tjure’s stamina gave in, he would be safe.

Bucky ran as fast as he could. He knew the others were following him, Guthrum was still screaming.   
He first headed to the right, jumped over fallen trees and then took a sharp turn to the left. He ran until he’s legs gave in and it felt like he had a knife rammed into his side.   
Guthrum’s screams had long past. Bucky slowed down, looking over his shoulder but seeing no one, so he stopped and leaned against a tree.   
After calming down and catching his breath, he viewed his surroundings.

He was deep inside the forest and everywhere he checked, it looked the same.   
Bucky sat down and rested his head against the tree. He was exhausted. All this traveling drained him and now these idiots had to chase him through a forest that he did not know.   
The sun was already starting to settle and Bucky closed his eyes for a while, his left hand pressed against his side. This position soon started to hurt his already troubled left arm, but he ignored it.   
A sound startled him out of his trance. He got up and slowly walked towards where the sound is coming from. It was a small rustle, that sounded like it was coming from an animal maybe?  
He got closer and hid behind a tree. slowly he peeked out from behind the tree and a little further down from him there was a bush – it looked like it has berries in it – that was moving, like something was plucking the berries.

And sure enough, suddenly there was a head raising up behind it.   
Frightened, Bucky hid back behind the tree.

Once he gotten his heartbeat to slow down again, he quietly looked back at the bush.

The head did not belong to a man, like he expected it to, instead, it was a small, blonde boy, that was picking berries from the bush.   
Bucky hid behind the tree once more. He did not want to scare the boy. The boy was really small and skinny, like he had not eaten in a while. Bucky chose to wait until he went away, because he knew he could not sneak away in a forest, his steps on the leaves and branches would expose him.

After a short while, Bucky once more looked over at the blonde boy, who was still standing there, collecting berries.   
But… oh no! Those were berries, that Ragnar specifically told him not to eat, while they passed some of these bushes on the way to the camp!

“Wait!”, Bucky shouted and jumped out from behind the tree. “Do not eat those, their poisonous!”   
The boy stared at him in shock. He dropped the berries he was holding, looked down onto his hand, but up at Bucky and replied: “I already eat them!”  
He’s expression changed from frightened to terrified, while he raised a hand to his lips.

“Am I going to die?”, the boy asked, still in shock.   
Bucky was more surprised, that the boy just stayed there, instead of running away, which is was Bucky would have done.

“I do not know”, Bucky answered, “maybe?”  
“What?”, the boy said, looking even more frightened.   
“How many did you eat?”, Bucky asked, while slowly stepping closer to him. He could see the boy better now. He was maybe a year or two younger than Bucky, a lot smaller, than him, with blonde hair and blue eyes.   
“Probably a hundred? Or even more? Oh no!”, the boy answered, looking back up at Bucky.   
“Well I’m sure you would have to eat a thousand for them to kill you!”, Bucky replied carefully.   
“Oh, well then.”, the boy mumbled, already seemingly less terrified.   
Bucky walked around the bush, stepping closer to the boy: “Why were you eating those anyway?”  
“I was hungry.”

For a moment Bucky thought about bringing the boy back to their tents and giving him some of their food, but retrieving that thought, realizing, that that was probably a bad idea.   
“What is you name?”, he asked instead and looked at the boy. With this blonde hair and the blue eyes, he could almost be a Dane.   
“Steve. Steve Rogers.”, the boy – Steve – answered. Bucky had never heard such a name. The names of his friends were all a lot different.   
“What is your name?”  
“Bucky”  
“Bucky?”, Steve repeated, while looking a little funny.   
“What are you doing out here in the forest?”, Bucky asked, to change the topic.   
“We are on our way home, actually. My Mother and I. She made me visit a sorcerer.”  
“A sorcerer?”, Bucky repeated dubiously.   
“Yes. He said, that he was a sorcerer, but I do not believe in magic.”, Steve plucked some leaves from the poisonous- berry bush.   
“Why did she make you visit a sorcerer?”, Bucky asked after a little while.   
“Because she thought that he could make grow.”, Steve replied, while tearing the leaves apart.

Bucky looked at him confused, so he continued: “It is because I am smaller than all of my friends and I am also sick sometimes. Well, a lot of times actually.”   
“How old are you?”, Bucky also grabbed some leaves and put them in his hand.   
“Twelve”, Steve answered. “How old are you?”  
“Ten”, Bucky said, dropping the leaves.   
“See? You are two years younger than me, but look like you are older!”   
Suddenly Bucky heard something in the distance, that sounded like his name. He looked into the direction of where it came from and heard it again. Louder the second time.

He turned back to Steve: “Go back to your Mother, tell her to leave as fast as you can. Go the other way!”  
“Why?”, Steve looked confused.

“We are Danes.”  
Bucky turned around walking away, when he heard Steve say: “Will I see you again?”  
He tuned back to face Steve.   
“Yes.”  
After seeing the disbelieving look on Steve’s face Bucky added: “I promise.”  
And left.

          ***  
          **875**

After the invasion of England by the great Heathen Army, led by Ragnar Lothbrok, Bucky’s father split up from the other Danes and settled down in a small village, which was already abandoned, when they had arrived. The Saxon people, that had lived there, probably fled to the Kingdom of Wessex, the last Saxon Kingdom.   
It consisted of four smaller huts, that were all connected to each other, by a bigger hut in the middle.   
The location of it was perfect. Not to close to Wessex, but not too far, and still close enough to London, where Ragnar and his man were.   
There were some more Danes, that decided to followed Bucky’s father, when he announced, that he was leaving Ragnar. Like Thorsten and his woman Freya, who arrived in England in 869, when the invasion was over, and Inghard, with his son, Erik. A year, after they arrived, Freya gave birth to a son and two years after that, a girl followed. Tjure also came with them, after his father fell in the battle and Inghard took over the father role of Tjure.   
After some time had passed, they were joined by two more man, who Bucky recognized, were also on Ragnar’s ship, in 865.

Ten years had passed, since Bucky’s father took Bucky with him to the land of the Saxon.   
Bucky was now 20 years old and grew up to be tall and well built. His father trained him, together with Erik and Tjure, and showed them the how to fight with a sword.   
Bucky grew out his hair and wore it like Ragnar used to, with the top half of it pulled together in a messy bun, on top of his head.   
“Bucky!”, he heard his father call. “Go and prepare the horses!”  
Bucky turned on his heal and headed to the small barn where they kept the horses.

Five days ago, Thorsten and Inghard had discovered a Saxon village, while being on the hunt. They had returned and Bucky’s father sent them to London, to go and ask for Ragnar’s advice. Two days later, they returned with two of Ragnar’s man and Ragnar’s words, saying that they should go and burn down that village.   
The preparations were only brief and soon Bucky was riding along his father’s side, into the west.   
They reached the village after a half-day’s ride.  
Inghard did not lie, when he mentioned, that he could barely call it a village, since it was so small. The place consisted of two barns, two small huts and a field in front of it, used to grow vegetables.   
Bucky felt like he saw something move through the opening on the side of the hut, they were facing. They had stopped on the edge of the forest, leaving them with a short distance to the village.   
His father slipped of his horse: “You heard Ragnar’s words. Burn this place to the ground, do not let anyone live!”, Bucky’s father spoke, before drawing his sword. He looked back again, before walking towards the village. Bucky followed him.

After crossing half of the distance between them and the village, his father started running. He raised his sword and let out a shout, announcing the attack.   
The front door of the bigger hut was opened, but before Bucky could make out who opened it, his father had reached the Saxon and rammed his sword through the figure’s chest.   
Bucky turned right and aimed towards the second hut. He kicked the front door open with his foot and ran inside. Tjure, who was behind him, went up the narrow stairs, while Bucky went deeper inside the hut.

Just when he wanted to turn around and join Tjure upstairs, he heard a quiet thud, coming from his right. He noticed a door. While heading towards it, he heard a woman’s scream.   
The door lead outwards.   
The smaller barn was just in front of him and he saw its door falling back into place. Holding his sword closer to his chest, he walked over to the door, with the screams of Saxon people behind him.   
He kicked the door open and ran inside.

To his surprise, he noticed, that the barn was empty. Right when he wanted to turn back around, he was tackled to the ground. He’s sword fell out of his grip and Bucky landed face forward onto the floor. With all his strength he ripped his wrists out of the stranger’s hands and turned around far enough, to land a punch onto the other’s face. His punch was effective enough, to throw the other off and he could roll them both over, so that Bucky was on top.

He threw his fist onto the other man’s face, who was hopelessly trying to protect his head.   
“Not so buff anymore, huh?”, Bucky spit out, while he pinned the others wrists onto the ground, above his head. He used his right knee to push the man down.   
Bucky noticed the stranger’s blue eyes, while inspecting the man’s face.   
Something about him seemed weirdly familiar.

“Bucky?”, the stranger breathed out.   
Confusion riled up in him.   
“How do you know my name?”, he said in a sharp tone, while grabbing his dagger, that was attached to his hips and pressed it onto the other man’s neck.

“I am Steve. We met in a forest, ten years ago!”, the stranger answered. He turned his head upwards, to try and get some distance between his neck and Bucky’s dagger.   
Bucky only pushed it down harder, drawing a little blood, that spilled onto the ground.   
“I was eating poisonous berries!”, he added.

Bucky lifted his dagger. “The Steve that I met was smaller.”  
“I told you about a sorcerer, remember? My mother took me to see him, because I was so small. Apparently, it worked.”, Steve answered.   
“There is no such this as magic.”, Bucky snorted.   
“I know, I did not believe in it either!”

The door to the barn swung open. “Bucky!”, Tjure stepped in. “Hurry up, we are starting the fire soon!”, he said and left.   
Bucky pressed the pointy tip of his dagger back onto Steve’s throat.   
Steve’s breath hitched, fear taking over his expression.   
“Bucky, please.”, he breathed out.

“Sorry, blondie, but I cannot let anyone live.”, Bucky answered, pushing his dagger down further.   
“Please…Bucky, please.”, Steve said so quiet, it almost sounded like a whisper.   
Bucky should have killed him just because of this pathetic begging, but he could not get himself to do it.

There was something in those eyes. Those wonderful blue eyes, that he remembered so clearly like their encounter in the woods was yesterday.   
He had thought about Steve a lot – even if he did not like to admit it – but he had hoped to see him again. Secretly wondering where he would be, what he was doing and – heck – if he was even still alive.   
Bucky had to think for a moment. He would not mind to bring a Saxon into their realm. The problem was his father. He had to think of a way to convince his father to bring Steve along with them and make sure that he would not get killed, before he was even set onto a horse.

Bucky grabbed his sword and stood up. “On your knees!”, he ordered. He held his sword against Steve’s neck and ordered him to put his hands behind his back.   
A long moment later, the door to the barn swung open again and his father stepped inside.   
He looked at Bucky, raised an eyebrow and asked: “What are you waiting for?”

“Two days ago, you said that we needed help farming and yesterday you complained about how we do not have enough worker, to take care of the horses and the sheep.”   
“So, what?”, his father stepped closer.   
“Let’s take this one as a slave.”   
His father laughed. “And feed him with our food? Give him our clothes? Having someone to watch him all day?”, his father stepped closer again. “He will not be useful. He surely does not even know how to brush a horse.”, he replied.   
“If you cannot bring yourself to kill him, then I will.”, his father drew his sword and swung it down, aiming at Steve’s neck. In the last moment Bucky raised his own sword and blocked his father’s, just two fingers wide away from Steve’s throat.

“We will take him as a slave and make him work. If he does one thing to your displeasure, you can kill him. We will chain him down, if you want to.”  
His father thought about it and retrieved his sword. “Fine.”, he said, a moment later “but you are responsible for him and I warn you, if he does one thing wrong, he will be a head shorter.” With one last warning look at Bucky, his father left.   
Bucky grabbed Steve’s arm and pulled him up. To Bucky’s surprise, Steve was taller than him, when standing up. He also noticed the way Steve was build, muscular arms and a strong chest.   
Bucky had to rip his eyes of off Steve.

He raised his sword back at him: “You heard my father. One wrong move and your dead. Keep your hands behind your back.”  
The seaman looked at them questioning, when Bucky arrived back by the horses, holding Steve.   
His father noticed the looks and spoke up: “The Saxon will be coming with us. As long as he behaves, he might be useful.”  
Ragnar’s man laughed.   
Bucky did not care. He grabbed a rope, bound Steve’s hands together, while avoiding any eye contact and shoved him onto one of the spare horses.   
“Why are we not bringing a woman? That might be a little more fun!”, said Knut, one of Ragnar’s man. He reminded Bucky of Guthrum. He was fat, short and all he could think about was humping and food.

“You already had enough fun, with the woman here, who are now dead. Keep your _gargan_ in your pants!”, Bucky’s father responded.   
Knut murmured something under his breath, while climbing onto his horse.   
Inghard and Thorsten also returned.   
They were tasked to find anything, that the seaman could use. Like silver, weapons or other treasure.   
Thorsten put everything he found into a pouch and secured it onto his horse. Inghard returned with a brown horse, that belonged to the Saxon.   
“Another horse?”, Bucky’s father said, when he saw it.   
“Well, you know, my friend, our horses are getting old. This one seems young and energetic.”, Inghard answered.   
Bucky noticed the sour look on Steve’s face, when he realized, that they were taking the horse.   
Better than leaving it behind and letting it starve, Bucky thought.   
Erik was the last one to return.

He was tasked to set up the fire. When he came back, the main hut was already in flames.   
They stayed at the edge of the forest, making Steve watch every single one of the buildings burn down.

          ***

“So, what are we doing with your slave?”, Knut asked, after emptying his drink.   
“Are you going to kill him, or is he allowed to be used?”

To Bucky’s dismay, his father had asked the two man of London to stay with them for the night. They were sitting at the table in their big hall and were drinking all of the mead, that Bucky’s father had.   
Bucky was sitting as far away from them as possibly, in the far-left corner, sipping his own drink.

Steve was chained to the wall opposite from him, in an uncomfortable looking position, with his hands above his head, kneeling, being held down by the chains around his ankles.   
He was also shivering, since Thorsten and Inghard had stripped him to nothing but his underpants.   
Of course, Bucky did not mind, what annoyed him was, that he did not seemed to be able to take his eyes of off Steve’s chest.

“I offer myself do kill him, because apparently none of you seem to be wanting to do it!”, the other one of Ragnar’s man said, standing up and raising his sword.   
Steve looked over at Bucky, horror written all over his face.   
“I say we do it a little more painful, to show the Saxon that he is so worthless, he is not even allowed to enjoy a fast death.”, Knut replied while also standing up: “I say, we burn him, like we did with his friends!”

“He will not be killed!”, Inghard said loud and signed the two man to sit back down.  
“What about humping? That will not lead to his death!”, Knut suggested.   
That comment was responded with a general sound of disagreement, coming from everyone else, who was sitting in the hall.

“You would really hump another man? That is sickening!”, Thorsten wrinkled up his nose.  
“A hole is a hole!”, Knut responded.  
That was – once again – followed by the other Danes raising their voices in disgust.  
  
Steve was still holding eye contact with Bucky.

“Let’s just hurt him a little!”, Tjure said and gotten up, walking over to Steve. “And do not worry, I will not kill him…yet!”, he uttered, before hitting Steve across his face.   
The room was filled with cheering, encouraging Tjure to hit him again.   
Steve did not speak up, he just turned his head back, to look up at Tjure.   
Tjure did not raise his hand again, instead he kicked Steve right into his gut.   
Steve leaned forward, obviously trying to catch his breath.   
Erik went over to join Tjure, holding his sword in one hand and he’s mead in the other.   
He turned to face the others and said: “How about some cuts? That will not kill him either!”  
He lowered his sword and laid it onto Steve’s chest, before sliding it over his skin, leaving a deep cut. Steve tried his best to hold in his screams.   
“You are a real though one, are you not?”, Erik said, while putting the tip of his sword back onto Steve’s skin.   
“I wonder how long it will take for you to beg us to stop.”, Erik cut Steve again, from his navel all the way up to his collarbone.

Before Erik could cut him again, Bucky had gotten up and pushed Erik away: “That’s enough!”   
Erik snorted at him and retrieved his sword: “I was getting bored anyway.”, he said. Then turned around and left.

After a while the room started to empty out. Bucky waited on the bench across from Steve.   
His father was the last one to leave. He threw one last skeptical look at Bucky, before returning to his room.   
Steve had his head hanging down and was shivering more now, with blood all over his chest.

“Are you happy now?”, Bucky asked after a while.  
“Yes.”, Steve raised his head to look at him.   
Bucky nodded. He got up to fetch a piece of cloth and a water bucket.   
He went back to Steve, dunked the cloth into the water and laid it onto Steve’s wounds.   
Steve hissed. Bucky ignored him.   
He stopped when Steve’s wounds seemed fairly clean and the liquid in the bucket looked more like blood, instead of water.   
He got up and pulled the chains out of the holder, allowing Steve to lover his arms. Bucky put them back in, so that Steve had enough room to lay down, closing the holster, making sure that Steve could not escape.   
“Thank you.”, Steve said.   
Bucky picked up a piece of fur, that was laying somewhere and threw it at Steve.   
“Sleep well, blondie”, he said, before taking the only light source – a torch – with him and leaving to lay down into his own bed.

          ***

Bucky woke up to the sounds of screams. He turned around and notices light coming from underneath his door. Confused, he stood up.   
The screams had gotten worse.   
He opened his door and…fire!  
Fire everywhere!  
The whole building was on fire!

He turned around and headed towards the room where Erik and Tjure were sleeping.  
“Wake up!”, he shouted, while shaking Erik awake.  
“What is going on?”, Erik asked, still half asleep.   
“The house is on fire!”, Bucky answered, before walking over to Tjure, shaking him awake as well.   
“You need to get out!”, he shouted, before leaving their room.   
Bucky ran back to he’s own room , collected his sword and his bag, as fast as he could.   
After grabbing his belongings, he made his way to the stairs. The last few steps were already burning. He ran down and jumped over the fire.

Through the smoke, he could make out three figures, trying to open the door at the front of the building.   
“It is blocked!”, Bucky heard his father shout.   
Bucky ran over to the back of the hall, to try and open the back door.   
It would not open, no matter how hard Bucky pushed it. It felt like, the door was held closed form the outside.

He made his way to the other side of the hall, when suddenly he heard a loud crash. Turning around, he saw the stairs falling down, leaving no way to get to the upper part of the building. Erik was still standing on top of the no longer existing stairs.   
“Jump!”, Bucky shouted at him.  
An explosion hit him in his right side. The pressure pushed him down to the floor.   
He looked back up, but could not see Erik through the smoke anymore.

“This door is open!”, he heard a loud voice. Bucky stood back up, running to the voice, while trying to avoid all the burning wood, that was falling down in front of him.   
He passed Steve, on his way over to the exit, who was still chained to the wall.   
“Bucky!”, he heard him scream. Bucky ignored it.   
He ran through the smoke and fire towards the open door. Just before he could go through it, he stopped.   
He turned around and saw Steve, tugging at his chains, to try and free himself.   
Bucky knew that it would not work. He was the one who closed the holster to the chains, he knew that it would not open, just by pulling at it.   
Bucky wanted to turn around and leave, but he could not do it. Not while knowing, that there would be a human dying, from something, that Bucky could have prevented. No matter if that human was a Saxon or a Dane.   
There was another loud crash and a particular big, burning bar fell down next to Steve. The flames were so close to Steve, that Bucky was almost sure, he would get burned.

While cursing words of anger, he made he’s way back over to Steve.   
Steve was still desperately trying to pull the chains out of the holster.   
Bucky opened the holster and wanted to remove the chains from its grip, but Steve was pulling to hard.   
“Stop moving!”, he shouted towards Steve and tugged on his chains, to make him come closer.   
The flames kept coming towards them, the heat from the fire was almost unbearable on Bucky’s skin and the smoke made it hard to see and to breath.   
Remembering the chains on Steve’s ankles, he leaned down to remove the chains.   
Another bar fell down with a loud crash. Bucky heard someone screaming.   
After some panic induced fidgeting, Bucky was able to remove the chains. He stood back up, grabbing Steve’s arm and made his way over to the opened door.

He stopped to avoid another falling bar and then ran the last distance towards the door.   
Steve would probably have some burns on the soles of he’s feet, since he was still wearing nothing but his underpants.

Once outside, Bucky noticed all the people, that were there. Bucky did not recognize them, they were strangers?   
Just in that moment Bucky was able to avoid a sword, that swung by his face. They were being attacked!  
He jumped to the right, pulling Steve along with him.   
He drew his sword once again and blocked another attack, by a man in front of him.   
Bucky turned his sword taking the stranger’s weapon with it and let it go to his right side, getting the sword out of their way long enough, for Bucky and Steve to pass the stranger. They ran to the forest and hid behind a bush, as soon as they reached it.

Bucky raised onto his knees, far enough to be able to see over the bush.   
A wave of shock went through him, when he saw the scene. Everything was on fire!  
All the buildings were burning, the flames reaching high into the night sky. Bucky had never seen such a huge fire.   
He watched, as the stranger’s slaughtered everyone who was able to exit the flames. Freya laid on the ground, beneath the man’s feet, with her son, laying next to her. They were not the only once, Bucky recognized Inghard, with a spear through his chest and Knut laying a little further away from him.   
Suddenly there was a man stepping out of the door. He was screaming, with flames dancing over his skin. Bucky’s father!

Bucky wanted to get up, to help his father, but a hand held him back.   
“No!”, Steve said. “You are going to get yourself killed!”  
Bucky looked back over the bush. He’s father was fighting, seemingly ignoring the fact, that he was on fire. He raised his sword and crashed it down onto his opponents, until the flames forced him to fall to the ground.

Steve was right. There were to many, Bucky alone would not stand a chance.   
So, they waited. They waited, until the sun rose, the flames gave in and the strangers left.   
Once Bucky was sure, that the attackers were far away enough, he rose from behind the bush and ran over to his father’s body.   
He could not recognize his father anymore; the flames had eaten up his body.   
Bucky kneeled down beside him and tried his best, to suppress his tears. He knew that his father would not have wanted his son to mourn over him.   
After a while, Steve came over to join him. His wrists were still chained together and he was dragging the rest of the chains along behind him.   
“I am sorry.”, he spoke softly.

Bucky waited another moment, before he got up and went inside the house. When they had arrived here, six years ago and his father had agreed with this place, they had buried all of their silver. Luckily, Bucky remembered where it was, grabbed his dagger and started digging into the ground in the center of the hall. After a while, he was able to remove a small box, out of the dirt. He poured the content of the box into his bag.

Steve was still standing in the entrance, of the hall, watching Bucky.   
“What?”, Bucky asked, after noticing Steve’s looks.   
“What are we going to do now?”, Steve said, tilting his head.   
“You mean, what am I going to do now.”, Bucky spit back, before walking into one of the smaller huts, through the entrance on the side of the hall.   
The hut was the home for Thorsten and Freya and may be the only place, were Bucky could find some useful things, since it had gotten the least damage from the fire.   
Under the bed, Bucky found a chest, filled with some clothes and some parts from an armor.   
He grabbed what he thought he needed, together with Thorsten’s sword, that was hidden underneath the bed as well.

Back in the hall, he threw the clothes at Steve and told him to get dressed, before walking outside.  
Bucky prayed, that the barn a little further down the hill did not catch any fire. It was the place where they had kept the horses.   
Thankfully, he saw Vindr standing outside of it, in the field, eating some grass. The barn seemed to be fine.   
He saddled Vindr and left the barn, leaving the door open that the other horses could. Bucky refused to bring Steve a horse. If Steve wanted to come with him, he would have to walk.   
Steve was dressed, when Bucky returned.

With the new clothes, Steve looked more like a Dane, than Bucky did and Bucky caught himself – once again – staring at Steve.   
He tore his eyes away from him and proceeded to secure all his belongings – including everything that he could find in the ruins of his home – onto the horses back.   
Then he climbed onto the saddle and signed Vindr to start walking towards the forest.   
When he notices Steve still standing where he did when Bucky came back from the barn, he turned around and asked; “Are you coming, or not?”  
“You want me to walk like this?”, Steve asked, and raised his wrists, with the chains still around them.   
Bucky turned back around, rode back over to Steve and grabbed the chains.   
“These things are not even that useless. I can use them to make sure that you will not escape, slave!”, Bucky answered with a grin on his face.  
He once again turned to the forest and rode towards it, pulling Steve along with him.   
Bucky wanted to see how long it will take until Steve faints from walking.

 


End file.
